Power drill attachment for chain saws



Nov. 29, 1949 E. A. HALL POWER DRILL ATTACHMENT FOR CHAIN 'SAWS Filed Nov. 1, 1947 JNVENTOR. E/VE ,4. HELL 22 if; T. r L 5% Fig- Patented Nov. 29, 1949 umrco STAT ES PATENT on: FOR t V SAWS Eugene A..Hall; chilliwaolcnriiisli Columbia; Canada:

A plication November 1, 194.7, Serial No. 783,519.

4: Claims. (Cl. 148 157) This invention relates to new and useful lin provernents in power angers and drills, and has more particular reference to a power auger at tachment for chain saws.

The invention particularly proposes an es ecially simple attachment which is adapted to be connected with a chain saw gear housing; and the chain with its teeth removed of the chain saw for supplying the necessary power to drive the auger or'drill;

it is roposed to rovide the new ower auger attachment with a chuck which may be variable to take augersof various sizes, steel drills and other types of twist tools.

The invention roposes to so construct the new power auger attachmentthat it may be used in combination with practically any of the chain saw motors now entire market by merely requiring' a change of sprocket wheel to fit the chain saw sprocket pitch. It is also proposed to so construct other portions of the attachment to from which the saw teeth have preferably been removed.

It is proposed that the new power auger attachment be provided with a safety slip clutch the tension of which may be adjusted with a suitable sprint. and adjustment nut so that if the auger jams, the clutch will slip and it will not damage the attachment orinjure the operator's.

It is another object of this invention to provide the power auger attachment with suitable handles so that it may be conveniently held by two operators, one on the auger side and one on the handle of the motor. When thu supported the auger may be operated in any direction or angle.

Another important object of this inventionisto construct the new auger attachment especially simple and to provide it with a suitable subfraine, or su ort frame, u on which the saw gear housing of a Chain saw may be readily bolted. It is also proposed that the sub-frame, or sup ort frame, be arranged so as to guide the chain of the attachment.

Another object of the invention is the construction of a device as described which is siinple and durable and which may be manufactured and sold at a reasonable cost.

For further com rehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof reference will be had tothe' following desciiption and. accompanying drawing, and to the appended claims in which the various novelieaturesof the invention are more articularly'set forth.

fit or accommodate various chains of chain saws:

In the accompanying drawing formingv a. mate rial part of this disclosure:

Fig; 1 is' a plan. view or a ower driven auger attachment for chain saws constructed in accordance with this invention.

rig. 2 is a side view of Fig". 1 looking from the. right handside.

Fig'. 3 is a fragmentary enlarged vertical seetional view taken on. the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view? taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged. elevational view similar to 2. but. illustrated with the front cover afid. certain other arts removed.

Fig. 6' is a fragmentary enlarged view ofEig. 3.

The new andiniproved ower auger attachmerit for chain saws, in accordance with this invention, includes a flat housing. l0 having. a. back well i I, a front wall 12', and a surrounding. wall is between said front and back walls. This surrounding wall I13 hasan open end M. The housing H1 is substantially (if pear sha e when viewed in side elevation, as illustrated in Fig$ 2 and 5. The front wall I {is in the nature (it a' removable front. cover which is held in position by a plurality of fastening elements l5" alongi it edges. These fastening elements I5 may comprise cap'screws or the like engaging the edges of the surroiindli'ig wall I 3. The housing H1 is provided with a handle It at the end remote from the open end l4 thereof.

A shaft 18 is rotatively mounted through the housing It and projects from said back wall It and front wall [2. The front end of the shaft is: is provided with a chuck l9 adapted to receive.

the shanks of various sizes of wood angers, twist drills of various designs, steel drills, and other tools The shaft I8 is rotatively supported by ball bearings 25 and M. The ball bearing Ill. is mounted within a boss 22 formed on the outer face of the front wall it. The ball hearing it is. mounted. within a tubular portion 23 formed upon the back wall. H. The ball bearing" 21' does not support the shaft [8" directly, but suports it indirectly by reason of directly su porting the hub 24' of a friction disc 25. The friction disc 25 is niountedunon the shaft I8.

A sprocket wheel 26 is freely rotatively mounted oil the shaft l8 and is located within the housing to between the back wall H and front wall ft.-

The sprocket wheel 26 is associated with a slip:

clutch which "comprises Said friction disc 25, and another friction disc 21' which is also mounted.

upon the shaft. [8 our tofthe other side. of the sprocket'wheelfli; The friction disc 21 is fixedly attached to the shaft l8 by a key 28 and by engaging against a shoulder 34 formed on the shaft IS. The friction disc is non-rotatively but slidably mounted upon the shaft l8 by a key 29.

Adjustable spring means is associated with the friction clutch by which the frictional resistance of the clutch may be varied. Said adjustable spring means includes a spring 30 mounted upon the shaft l8 and engaging againstya washer 3|v which bears against the hub 24 of the friction disc 25. An adjustment nut 32 is threadedly engaged upon the shaft 18 and is fixedly located in a selected adjusted position by a pin 33 and t controls the tension of the spring 30. The spring 30 urges said non-rotative slidable friction disc 25 against said sprocket wheel 26 which is then being forced against the other friction disc 21 which is fixedly mounted on'the shaft I8. With this arrangement rotations from the sprocket wheel 26 will be transmitted to the friction discs 25 .and 21 which in turn will drive the shaft l8 and chuck l9.

A hollow handle 35 engages'over the end of theshaft l8 remote from the chuck I9 and houses and encases the adjustable spring means which is characterized by the spring 30 and adjustment nut 32. A chain 36 engages over said sprocket 26 and extends out of the open end of the housing 10. A support frame and chain guide 31 is adjustably .mounted within said housing It] and, projects from said open endgl4 for supporting a chain saw motor with its sprocket in end alignment with said support frame 31 for engaging said chain 35. More specifically, the support frame 31 is in the form ofa thick flat plate. Its innerend 38 is curved and slightly, spaced from the side of the spi ucket wheel 26. Its outer end 39 is also curved and adapted to be slightly spaced from a sprocket wheel schematically illustrated on the drawing by the dot and dash lines 40, saidsprocket wheel 40 being the sprocket wheel of the chain saw.

The projecting end portion of the support frame ,31 is formed with a plurality of openings for bolts by which the saw gear housing of the chain saw may be bolted. The support frame 3'! isadjustably supported. It is formed with a large central slot 42 into which an elongated lug 43 from the back wall ll projects. The support frame 31 is also provided with a pair of slots 44 and 45 above and below the slot 42. The slots 42, 44, and 4,5 are parallel to each other. A bolt 46 passes through the back wall H, the lug 43, and the front wall l2. Bolts 41 pass through the back wall II, the slots 44 and 45, and the front wall l2. The bolts 46 and 41 assist in clamping the support frame 31 between the front wall or cover plate. I2,v and the back wall II for fixedly holding the support frame 31 in position. The cap screws 15 also assist in clamping the cover plate l2 against the support frame 31. The top and bottom edge portions of the support frame 31 are formed with grooves 49 through which the drive lugs 50 of the chain 36 pass.

Thev operation and use of the new and improved power augerattachment for chain saws may be understood from the following:

When a saw gear housing is mounted upon the projecting end of the support frame 31 by engaging bolts through theopenings 4| of the frame 31, the sprocket (indicated by the dot and dash lines 40) of the chain saw will be in edge alignment with the support frame 31. The chain 36 is engaged around the sprocket 4D. The cap screws l5 and the bolts 46. and 41 are loosened wheel 26.

and the support frame 31 is extended outwards a suitable amount so as to suitably extend the chain 36 to be in taut driving condition.

An auger or other drill or tool may now be mounted in the chuck Ill. The power auger attachment may be conveniently supported by two men, one supporting it by the handles l6 and 35,. and the other supporting it by holding the housing of the saw gear housing which is mounted on the projecting end of the support frame 3'1. The saw gear motor may now be operated for driving the sprocket 40 which through the medium of the chain 36 drives the sprocket Rotations from the sprocket 26 will be transmitted by the friction discs 25 and 21 "to drive the shaft [8 and so indirectly drive 1 the anger, or other drill, or tool mounted in the chuck l9.

If 'for'any reason the auger jams so that the driven shaft I8 is arrested from turning, no damage will be done to the attachment or the operators because in such an event the sprocket wheel 26 continues rotating but the rotations will not be transmitted by the discs 25 and 21 to the shaft 18. The sprocket 26 will merely slip between the discs without driving them. The tension of the spring 30 determines the amount of power which Will be transmitted by the slip clutch, and when this amount is exceededthen the slipping just referred to takes place.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise constructions herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. A power auger attachment for chain saws, comprisinga flat housing having a back wall and a front wall and a surrounding wall between said walls and open at one end, a shaft rotatively mounted through said housing and projecting from said back and front walls, a sprocket wheel freely mounted on said shaft and located in said housing between back and front walls, a pair of slip clutch discs mounted on said shaft to the sides of said sprocket wheel one of said discs being fixed on said shaft and the other being non-rotatively slidably mounted thereon, adjustable spring means mounted on said shaft and urging said nonrotatively slidable disc against said sprocket wheel which is then being forced against said other disc, a chuck for an auger or drill on one end of said shaft, a hollow handle engaging over the. other end of said shaft and mounted on said housing and encasing said adjustable spring means, a chain engaging over said sprocket wheel and extending out of the open end of said housing, and a support frame and chain guide adjustably mounted within said housing and projecting from said open end for supporting a chain saw motor with its sprocket in end alignment with said support frame and engaging said chain.

2. A power auger attachment for chain saws, comprising a flat housing having a back wall and a front wall and a surrounding wall between said walls and open at one end, a shaft rotatively mounted through said housing and projecting from said back and front walls, a sprocket wheel freely mounted on said shaft and located in said housing between said back and front walls, a pair.

of slip clutch discs mounted on said shaft to the sides of said sprocket wheel one of said discs being fixed on said shaft and the other being nonrotatively slidably mounted thereon, adjustable spring means mounted on said shaft and urging said non-rotatively slidable disc against said sprocket wheel which is then being forced against said other disc, a chuck for an auger or drill on one end of said shaft, a hollow handle engaging over the other end of said shaft and mounted on said housing end encasing said adjustable spring means, a chain engaging over said sprocket wheel and extendingout of the open end of said housing, and a support frame and chain guide adjustably mounted within said housing and projecting from said open end for supporting a chain saw motor with its sprocket in end alignment with said support frame and engaging said chain, the front wall of said flat housing being in the nature of a cover plate removably mounted upon said surrounding wall, and said cover plate being clamped against said support frame for assisting in holding said frame in adjusted positions.

3. A power auger attachment for chain saws, comprising a fiat housing having a back wall and a front wall and a surrounding wall between said walls and open at one end, a shaft rotatlvely mounted through said housing and projecting from said back and front walls, a sprocket wheel freely mounted on said shaft and located in said housing between said back and front walls, a pair of slip clutch discs mounted on said shaft to the sides of said sprocket wheel one of said discs being fixed on said shaft and the other being nonrotatively slidably mounted thereon, adjustable spring means mounted on said shaft and urging said non-rotatively slidable disc against said sprocket wheel which is then being forced against said other disc, a chuck for an auger or drill on one end of said shaft, a hollow handle engaging over the other end of said shaft and mounted on said housing end encasing said adjustable spring means, a chain engaging over said sprocket wheel and extending out of the open end of said housing, and a support frame and chain guide adjustably mounted within said housing and projecting from said open end for supporting a chain saw motor with its sprocket in end alignment with said support frame and engaging said chain, said support frame having parallel slots, a lug from said rear wall engaging through one of said slots, and bolts enga ing through said lug and said slots and mounted through the back and front walls of said housing for assisting in adjustably supporting said support frame.

4. A power auger attachment for chain saws, comprising a fiat housing having a back wall and a front wall and a surrounding wall between said walls and open at one end, a shaft rotatively mounted through said housing and projecting from said back and front walls, a sprocket wheel freely mounted on said shaft and located in said housing between said back and front walls, a pair of slip clutch discs mounted on said shaft to the sides of said sprocket wheel one of said discs being fixed on said shaft and the other being nonrotatively slidably mounted thereon, adjustable spring means mounted on said shaft and urging said non-rotatively slidable disc against said sprocket wheel which is then being forced against said other disc, a chuck for an auger or drill on one end of said shaft, a hollow handle engaging over the other end of said shaft and mounted on said housing and encasing said adjustable spring means, a chain engaging over said sprocket wheel and extending out of the open end of said housing, and a support frame and chain guide adjustably mounted within said housing and projecting from said open end for supporting a chain saw motor with its sprocket in end alignment with said support frame and engaging said chain, said flat housing being of pear shape in side elevation, said support frame having its top and bottom sides grooved and spaced from the top and bottom portions of the surrounding wall of said housing, said chain engaging through the spaces between said support frame and surrounding wall and bearing against the top and bottom edge portions of said support frame, and said chain having lugs engaging through said grooves.

EUGENE A. HALL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PA'I'ENTS Number Name Date 613,748 Wilson Nov. 8, 1898 754,753 DIsepo Mar. 15, 1904 1,530,886 Gora Mar. 24, 1925 2,326,854 Hassler Aug. 17, 1943 

